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LOG OF THE CRUISE 




F 



SCHOONER JULIUS WEBB, 



WHICH SAILED FEOM 



NORWICH, CT., JULY 23D, 1858. 



HAVING ON BOARD 



The " Wachiisett Club," of Worcester, Mass. % 



COMMODORE GEO. W. BEiNTLEY, C031MANDING. 



WORCESTER : 

PRINTED AT THE TRANSCRIPT JOB OFFICE, 
206 MAIN STREET. 

1858. 



LOG OF THE CRUISE 



o p 



SCHOONER JULIUS WEBB, 



WHICH SAILED FROM 



>:<)R.V[(;iI. CT.. JULY 23D, 1858, 



HAVING ON BOARD 



Th. "W;cliusitt IjsU," of Worocster, Mass. 



CO.IDKIDORE fJEO, W BEMLEY, COM}IA\DL\G. 



■x.^ 



WORCESTER :-^ 

PRINTED AT THE TRANSCRITT JOB OFFICE. 

20o MAIN SrRKLT. 

1858. 



CRUISE OF THE "JULIUS WEBB." 



On board " Julius Webb," Capt. Henry Fargo. ) 

July 23d, 1858. ' | 

At 4.15 P. M. cleared frora the dock of the Norwich and 
New London Steamboat Company, which was lined by the 
Officers of that Company, and a host of citizens, assembled 
to witness onr departure. So boisterous was the enthusi- 
asm of our Norwegian friends, that it found suitable ex- 
pression through the lungs of the Town Crier, by whose 
agency the bells were rung, and an elaborate oration made 
in honor ot the occasion. Previous to our departure, a 
note Avas received by the Commodore's Clerk, from Re^. 
Wm. Converse, of the firm of " Norton & Converse," of 
Norwich, asking his acceptance of an accompanying pres- 
ent, which proved to be the old Converse Family Bible, of 
the imprint of 1736, and a stone jug, the contents of which 
were afterwards used by the Club as '• burning fluid." In 
the same parcel was received the " blessing " of the reve- 
rend gentleman, which appeared also to have rested upon 
the family bible in a remarkable degree, that ancient tome 
being in excellent preservation, unsoiled, and in all respects 
as good as when first issued by the publisher — the leaves 
being yet uncut ! a most gratifying illustration of the sa- 
credness with which its late owner had regarded the volume. 

The wind being dead ahead, our Captain very kindly took 
in tow the steamer Pamelach, and succeeded in hauling 
that vessel down the Thames as far as Allyn's Point, where, 
the wind being still a dead-head, (so far as our profit was 
concerned;) we temporarily cast anchor. An hour later, 



4 

the Commander of the Pamel ich r^i^nifylnj^ his desire to be' 
towed still lower down the river, we tripped our anchor, 
and again fastening- to tlie steamer, succeeded in towing 
her safely through the " Narrows," where we cast her off, 
to get back to the Point as she best could, and took our 
own time in which to drop down to New London, which 
ivhaUng great city we reached at 12.45 P. M., and were re- 
ceived by a delegation of citizens, ct)nsisting of a man and 
one small boy, who, in addition to seven members of the 
Club there waiting to join us, cheered the Club vocife- 
rously. Owing to some misunderstanding among the au- 
thorities, the church bells were not rung, nor was there 
any discharge of cannon in honor of our arrival, but with 
these trifling omissions, all proper respect was shown to us. 

At this place our Sailing Master, Capt. Elijah Bolles, an 
" old salt,'' still in the brine, was shipped, as also were fresh 
milk, and the seven members of the Club to whom allusion 
has been made, who left Worcester I)}- the steamboat train 
of 23d. Here, also, reluctantly, we put ashore a citizen of 
Worcester, who had made the passage with us from Nor- 
wich, where he had " dime his business '' in the hope to 
make the entire trip with us, but was recalled by other en- 
gagements, having sundry proof sheets at this time running 
through the press, to which the owners imperatively de- 
manded his personal attention. With much regret we bade 
him adieu, after solemnly toasting his health in lemonade. 

At 8 A. M. our anchor was weighed, and with wind about 
due north, we stood for Gardner's Bay, which anchorage 
ground we reached in about three hours. About this time 
several members of the Club took some lemonade. Fish- 
ing commenced. At 11.30 a loud shout announced the 
capture of the first fish- — Brother Dennis having landed 
upon the deck a specimen of the "shark" species, y'clept 
by the sailors " dog-fish." In answer to our inquiries as 
to its eating qualities, Capt. Bolles pronounced it " good!'' 
Opinion doubted : strong prejudice n.anitesfed against the 
"critter" for table use. Duubts secminj;-!y strengthened 



when a dish of them were subsequently served up at din- 
ner as a second course. Consumers were scarce : objec- 
tions were urged on account of the toughness of the hide, 
and the general lawyer-like look of the animal. Dog-fish 
stock went down hopelessly, and did not rally during the 
trip. 

A preliminary ceremonial to this day's dinner, (prerious 
to which all took lemonade,) was the division of the Club, 
by the Commodore, into three watches, of fifteen men each; 
two to eat, with one to wait, alternately ; an arrangement 
wliich added much to the general comfort. 

At 2 P. M. a detachment of about twenty gunners went 
ashore in pursuit of birds. Had a buvsy time hunting them, 
without success, fish-hawks appearing to be the only feath- 
ered inhabitants, — of which unclean, though clamorous and 
warlike fowl, it may without prejudice be remarked, that, 
like some other animals of martial seeming, they appear 
most foi midable at a distance ; being composed of little 
flesh, much fuss, and more feathers ; although not verifying 
the adage that " fine feathers make fine birds." 

Captains Fargo and Bolles manned the dory, and went 
for clams for bait: returned with couple of bushels. Dur- 
ing the afternoon the wind freshened considerably, and 
being unfavorable, it was resolved to anchor off Gardner's 
Island for the night. Shifted anchorage ground some four 
miles easterly, and rode out the night. 

The 2oth, being Sunday, was opened by our choristers 
with hymns of praise ; but music ha-d no charms for the 
noisy north-easter, which continued to blow throughout 
the day. As the shore could be comfortably reached from 
our sheltered anchorage ground, it Avas resolved to spend 
the day on shore. Accordingly, attired in their red flannel 
shirts, duly belted and booted, all hands took some lemon- 
ade and went ashore. 1 he Commodore, skilled in the de- 
licious mysteries of *' clam-bake," immediately proceeded 
to make preparation for the due performance of that inter- 
esting ceremony. The soft clam— that species distinguished 



by the black projecting member which it invariably leaves 
outside the shell, and which naughty boys therefore some- 
times denominate in vulgar terms — abound along the shore. 
Our l)oys scattered in pursuit of them, some meanwhile 
gathering drilt-wood for the fire, arranging and heating the 
stones for baking, etc., etc. In due season sundry bushels 
were laid upon the heated stones, covered with sea-weed, 
cooked to a charm, and summarily devoured ; during the 
performance of which feat, several of the party took some 
lemonade. 

At this place Erother Jencks signalized himself by rob- 
bing a bird's nest. Having in his youth been repeatedly 
punished for the forbidden performance of similar feats, he 
here took his revenge by invading the privacy of a fish- 
hawk family retreat, a small house, ingeniously constructed 
upon the top of an oak tree, which he climbed, much to his 
own satisfaction, and the alarm of the parent birds, who 
screamed about his ears continually, but abstained from 
any direct attack. The young fry, upon iiis reacliing their 
abode, appeared to be rather more surprised than delighted 
at his personal appearance — particularly when, seizing 
them by the legs, he passed them to other adventurers be- 
low, as prisoners, in which capacity they accompanied us 
during the entire trip. 

At 5 P. M. a second clam-bake was served up, diversified 
by a dessert of baked crabs, a quantity of w lich delicious 
Crustacea had been captured by some of the party, who 
had waded after them hip-deep, spearing them in their 
weedy retreats, by means of a fork secured to a pole — an 
instrument improvised for the occasion, no such weapon as 
a scoop-net being on board the craft. This repast, duly 
moistened by weak lemonade, closed up the 'long-shore 
cooking for the day. Many of the dirtiest members bathed 
upon the beach, leaving the water exceedingly '* rile-y," 
while others paid a visit to the mansion of the lord of the 
Isle, John Griswold Gardner — Esquire! (God save the 
mark !) whom they found intensely drunk ! and decidedly 



maudlin and disgusting while in that condition. He talked 
(after the manner of King Solomon) of the "women" 
whom he supposed we had with us on board, and hinted 
that he would thereafter signify to us his royal pleasure 
concerning them. He suggested that his favorite " tipple," 
his *' peculiar vanity," — was gin ! and lamented that he 
was so nearly destitute as to have then in his possession 
only a single quart ! From various sources we gleaned 
the following particulars concerning the island and its 
owners : 

" Gardner's Island " is so named after an Englishman 
who purchased it from the aboriginal owners in the year 
ot our Lord 1639. Among " white folks" of that day, it 
was known as the " Isle of Wight." The Indians gave to 
it the more pollysyllabic title of " Manchangonoc." It is 
some nine miles in length, and in width from one and a 
half to three miles, containing 3500 acres, or thereabout. — 
The number of inhabitants is presently stated as fifty-five. 
Ordinarily, forty-five persons constitute the resident popu- 
lation, all of whom are members of the household of John 
Griswold Gardner, owner and occupant of the island, a lin- 
eal descendant of the first white settler, who is prevented 
from transmitting his possessions to his eldest born — by 
entailment — as did his ancestors, from the following causes, 
to wit: First, because being to-day a bachelor of forty- 
five years, he has no eldest born to leave them to ; second, 
because the great State of New York, to which the island 
is an appendage, has seen fit to abolish the law of entail ; 
and third, because *^ John Griswold," being a gross sensu- 
alist, almost constantly under the influence of gin, minus a 
wife, or any good quality which should entitle him to the 
possession of such a treasure, does not appear to be likely 
to leave behind him any legitimate descendant. 

His Steward, or Overseer, a gentleman by no means re- 
markable for suavity of deportment, or any peculiar amia- 
bility, was yet communicative enough to inform us to some 
extent of the characteristics of his interesting employer, 



8 

whom he described as an unclean animal, requiring the 
constant attention of one man to keep him sufficiently 
cleanly for association with human beings, his personal 
habits being decidedly filthier than those of any of the hogs 
he owns. Drunk (as his Overseer averred) twenty-seven 
days out of every thirty, and destitute of personal attrac- 
tions, even his large possessions present but small induce- 
ment to an}' of the gentler sex to unite her lot with such a 
creature, wherefore it would seem probable that at his de- 
cease the property must pass into unlineal hands, " no son 
of his succeeding," Two-thirds of his present ownership 
were acquired by purchase from a brother and sister, co- 
heirs to the property at his lather's decease. The sister 
being married, should the brother decline the succession, 
Gardner's Island will no longer own a lord bearing the 
name of the family in whose possession it has remained for 
more than two centuries. 

The island, in addition to the human portion of its live 
stock, furnishes subsistence to some 70 horses, 200 head of 
cattle, besides 12 yoke of working cattle, 1473 sheep, 90 
hogs, and a host of hens, chickens, etc. Under cultivation 
are 160 acres of wheat, 75 acres of corn, 75 of oats, 12 of 
potatoes, 6 of barley, in addition to 450 tons of hay annu- 
ally cut. There are sixteen houses and barns upon the 
island, including the large homestead of the proprietor. — 
Its historical associations may be better learned from the 
following data, gleaned from the onlj' grave-yard upon it, 
of which the following are transcripts : 

"IN MEMdKY OF 
Lfon Gardner and Mary Willi ins n liis wile, who cime from Woreflen, in H^ 11a d, 
to London, Juli 10, a' d i<rrivfd in Aiuerioa N v 28, 1636. After com- 
manding the jiarrison at Sa>'brook f ur y ars, be r moved to the 
Isle «>f Wigh , which he purchasei of the Indians, called 
by them Manchangonoc being the first Englisi man settled in the ^ta e of New York. 

He died, 11)63 And she, 1665. 

David, their son, b m at !*a>brook, April 29, 1636, the first nh te child born in 
Connecticut, died (16—) Maiy hiswife, whom h marr ed June 4, 1657, 
at We>tminster, in England, died (16—) 
Here lies interred the re i ains of DM Gardner, Esq. of the Isle of Wight, who de- 
parted this life Juy 4, 176., in tjie tilstjear of his age." 



9 

Leaving the Gardner biography to the care of some fu- 
ture historian, we return to our cruise. 

The north-easter of the 25th having abated, our skipper 
hoisted his sails at 3 A. M. on the following morning, with 
so little of a breeze in his favor that the voyagers who 
came on deck three hours later had ample time to bid fare- 
well to Gardner's Island, and examine the mementos of 
their visit, which consisted of some twenty chickens, two 
live sheep, a new cheese, and other luxuries, purchased 
from the besotted owner by our careful Purser, whose fre- 
quent excursions ashore after fresh milk gave rise to some 
few censorious remarks on part of some of the younger 
members, who seemed to envy our excellent officer's fre- 
quent opportunities for imparting valuable moral admoni- 
tion to the dairywomen. It is, perhaps, unnecessary to 
add that there was not at any time the slightest ground for 
any invidious comment upon his proceedings in this regard, 
as his somewhat prolonged conversations with the females 
in question, undoubtedly related to the quality of their 
milk ; for our Purser, as every one who knows him can tes- 
tify, is, in all such matters, a chevalier, ^^ sans peur et sans 
reproche /" . 

About 11 A. M. a fresh breeze sprang up from the south- 
ward, which enabled us to partake of lemonade, and finally 
to bid farewell to the Isle of Crabs, our good vessel bowl- 
ing away gallantly to Montauk Point, off which she lyy-to 
five or six hours, giving our fishermen a fruitless opportu- 
nity to troll for blue-fish ; but not a blue-fish was taken. — 
By sunset, all our trophies consisted only of some twenty 
^' porgies," a few diminutive '' sea-bass," and here and there 
a savage looking " sculpin," which loomed up among the 
captives like Parker Pillsbury in canonicals. 

About this time, the " heavy swells " which frequent old 
Ocean's thoroughfare during the fashionable season, began 
to make their appearance, their coming evidently creating 
unqualified disgust in the minds of divers of the fishermen, 
who turned pale at their approach. One after another qui- 



10 

etly abandoned the piscatorial pursuit, and sought a re- 
cumbent position, either below or at full length upon the 
poop-deck, (a part of the vessel which acquired an un- 
doubted right to its appellation during the voyage.) Not 
that any one was sea-sick ? By no means ! Not a man ad- 
mitted any such impeachment. 'Twas enough that the 
vessel was hove-to — they were not going to heave too, not 
a bit of it ! They merely felt a " little queer," had " eaten 
too much dinner," or — " not enough !" The " lemonade 
didn't agree with them !" Excuses in abundance were at 
hand, but, as in all similar cases — nobody was sea-sick ! 

All subterfuge, however, failed. Before sun-set, apolo- 
gies were no longer offered. Neptune demanded and re- 
ceived tribute, — we rendered unto Ocean the things which 
were Ocean's, — and as line after line was deserted with the 
fleeting hours, the truth was fairly vomited forth, and a 
long list of accounts settled in the usual form. 

At 6 P. M. we drew in under the land, and anchored for 
the night. At this point, suffering from severe thirst, the 
Clerk asks the readers' indulgence while descending to the 
cabin for the purpose of imbibing a decoction of lemon-juice 
and water (a favorite beverage with our voyagers, by rea- 
son of its eflScacy in cases of nausea). 

Being supposed to have partaken of the common pana- 
cea, he proceeds to give a brief description of the common 
"Dormitory," which consisted of the entire hold of the ves- 
sel, and which was furnished in very primitive and unique 
style. Mattresses, kindly furnished without charge by the 
New London and Norwich Steamboat Company, were 
spread on either side the center-board, the floor being en- 
tirely covered by spare sails as a carpet. At the foot of 
each mattress stood the trunks of the voyagers, serving 
for both chair and table, while overhead the beams were 
studded with tenpenny nails, in place of clothes-hooks, 
from which hung the garments of the sleepers. At the 
forward end. Surgeon Flagg fitted up his " Office," duly 
adorned by the sign of his vocation, ominous looking cups 



11 

and phials, and divers boxes and basins, suggestive of the 
necessity for his professional presence. And here should 
be recorded our tribute to the Doctor's fidelity to his fol- 
lowing, his unwearied attention to the bilious-looking pa- 
tients to whose wants he was continually administering, 
his constant cheerfulness, and ready obedience to all calls 
upon him, whether for business or amusement. We gladly 
record his un-Flagg-ing devotion to the comfort of his com- 
panions on this cruise, believing it to be deserving of es- 
pecial mention. Upon this night, the general appearance 
of the hold was decidedly blue ! The jests and jibes of pre- 
vious nights were dead and buried, and only here and there 
did some irreverent mariner, (whose stomach defied the 
Sea-*King's power,) crack his untimely joke upon unappre- 
ciative ears. Noses, which had already assumed an alarm- 
ingly rubicund tint, stood out in bold relief from the pale fa- 
cial plains whence they projected, so prominent that in the 
dim light afforded by the lanterns, the imaginative beholder 
almost fancied them to be a row of miniature light-houses, 
erected expressly for the Surgeon's benefit, as he trod his 
uneven way through the thick lines of his patients. 

Despite this prominentl}^ melancholic feature of the 
scene, the risibles were much provoked to unseemly smiling. 
Here sat a quartette, a chest for their table placed beneath 
a lantern, their immortal faculties deeply immersed in the 
subtle mysteries of that historic race of grotesque looking 
Kings and Queens, which Mr. Crehore has done so much 
to immortalize: Beside them — perhaps on either side — sat 
a motionless human body, its head hanging listlessly over 
the left shoulder, as if accidentally left there, and probably 
belonging to some distant relative of the body, — the face, 
illuminated by the customary " light-house " serving mainly 
as a pale back-ground for the half-shut eyes, which looked 
hopelessly into S23ace, utterly regardless of the historic 
students beside them, as well as of all earthly things be- 
side ; their owner, whom ^' man delighted not, nor woman 
either," ruminating sadly over the delusive nature of 



12 

tv^orldly enjoyments generally, and especially upon that- 
class which had the sea for a theatre ; in their hearts de- 
voutly praying for the trip's termination, although, when 
questioned, manfully denying all such mental treachery. — 
But who can paint the throes of the unpoetic malady ? the 
sickness which has no place in aesthetics ? Let us leave 
such sufferings sacred in the memory of the sufferers. 

On the morning of the 27th, at about 4 o'clock, a stiff 
Sou-wester blowing, we were again under weigh, and 
cruised off the Point once more for blue-fish until about 8 
o'clock withoiit success, when all hands were piped to lem- 
onade, all lines taken in, and we bore away for Block Island^ 
where it was certainly thought blue-fish Avould be taken. — 
With the wind blowing freshly on shore, we were compelled 
to keep well off, and consequently caught nothing, but ob- 
served several surf-boats in shore, doing better, — a sight 
which of course afforded us much satisfaction. Breakfast, 
this morning, went begging. Appetites were at a discount,. 
*' lemonade " in request. Sufferers begin to question the 
propriety of running in to some harbor. Newport and 
New Bedford are favorably mentioned. A strong desire 
manifests itself to visit these interesting localities. One or 
two boldly announce their determination to start home di- 
rect from the first port made, professedly moved thereto by 
imperative business calls, or by circumstances beyond their 
control ! The subject is discussed. Many are in favor of 
making direct for the fishing-ground, and are dissatisfied 
with the delay already experienced. The question being- 
put to vote, it is resolved to run for New Bedford, but the 
'^ skipper,"* being consulted, he determines, that, being too 
far inside the reef, he must make Newport, which harbor 
was safely entered at 2.30 P. M., a heavy sea rolling before 

*The Clerk — for the iDformation of any ehance reader of the gentler sex, or of 
any unfortunate of his own, who may be ignorant of the salt definition of this term — 
deems it proper to state that the animal thus denominated is not of the insect tribes, 
aor, necessarily, a parasite. That the creature usually so called, which makes of 
an aged cheese its earthly paradise, is of a distinct species; the marine " skipper " 
being the Captain of a vessel. 



13 

the fair wind which drove lis in. The anchor down, the 
" Julius " immediately swung round and faced old BoreaS; 
when lemonade was formally administered, down went the 
yawl from the davits, and the boys to the number of twen- 
ty-two overloaded her. All, however, were safely landed, 
and a second load followed, including no less than nine of 
the party v/ho here resolved no longer to " go down to the 
sea in ships," but with the poet, to apostrophize the rolling 
monster thus : 

" Ocean ! thou dreadful and tumultuous home 
Of dangers, at eternal war with man !" 

and so forsake him for the peaceful home they left behind 
them. Attired in their red flannel shirts, and salt water rig 
generally, our crew was soon scattered over the length and 
breadth of this famed watering place. Many tested the 
quality of the ^' lemonade " at the different hotels, with a 
view to ascertain whether Newport possessed an artist in 
weak drinks, who could compare with our own skilful Stew- 
ard. The palm of superiority was unanimously awarded to 
the latter. Several parties of the " boys," eager for fresh 
" prog," dined at the various hotels, and excited no little 
attention from the nabobs there assembled. The various 
Lions having been visited, at 9 P. M. all who were resolved 
to stick to the ship were again on board, and soon safely 
locked in the arms of Morpheus. 

At 6 A. M. on the 28th, with a clear sky and a good 
breeze from the North-West, we glided gracefully from the 
protecting harbor, upon old Ocean's heaving bosom, the 
brief visit ashore having restored many of our invalids to 
their full power of appreciation of his grandeur and glory, 
as with returning strength and gladness they looked upon 
the— 

" Glorious mirror, where the Almighty's form 
Glasses itself in tempests; in all time, 
Calm or convulsed — in breeze, or gale, or storm, 
Icing the pole, or in the torrid clime 
Dark-heaving: boundless, endless and sublime — 
The image of Eternity!" 



14 

Passing '' Gay Head," with its variegated face, No-Man's* 
Land loomed up in the distance, and had for our voyagers 
considerable attraction, inasmuch as there was a rumor on 
board that cod and haddock frequented its deep "waters. — 
It was, however, determined to go further, even though 
we fared Vv^orse. Running down by the Elizabeth Isles, 
, Tarpaulin Cove was made about 3.30 P. M., and again our 
anchor touched bottom. Our boys were soon ashore, over- 
hauling the resources of the only tavern the Port boasts, 
where they found the crew of the Schooner " Yankee Boy," 
a party of thirty-six excursionists from Hartford, who had 
just returned from a day's fishing on Nantucket Shoals, 
where they had captured some 230 cod and haddock, and 
were well pleased with the sport. Our souls in arms, and 
eager for a similar fray, we piled into mine host's dining- 
room for a last meal on shore, and were regaled with all 
that was available in the victualling department, the Bill of 
Fare comprising the following luxuries, viz : Bread — Bread 
and Milk — Milk without Bread — Milk with Ice — Water 
plain — -Water iced — Water with an infusion of Tea — poor 
Cigars — and pretty girls to the number of three, upon 
whose rosy cheeks and pouting lips our unmarried mem- 
bers made a sumptuous repast — in imagination. And 
here, inspired by the grateful influences of a " lemonade," 
just presented to the Clerk by the intelligent and accom- 
plished Steward, (whose happy faculty for anticipating hu- 
man necessities at sea, cannot be too warmly commended,) 
your Scribe is led to notice one of the most remarkable 
among metaphysical phenomena to which his attention has 
been directed upon this, as well as upon previous similar 
excursions — viz : the singularly attractive appearance of 
the gentler sex during a sea voyage. Whether owing en- 
tirely to some atmospherical peculiarity of marine regions, 
or to be ascribed to the recollection of past delights, and 
its influence upon the mind, it would seem to be certain — 
from the deportment of the young men already alluded to — 
that a degree of loveliness attaches to the female form seen 



15 

during a voyage, or from a vessel's deck, wliicli is not al- 
ways so enthusiastically acknowledged when on shore. — 
Proofs of this position are to be found in the general dis- 
position among voyagers to salute every female discovered 
on the shore. Hats are swung, handkerchiefs waved, hur- 
rahs shouted, and similar demonstrations eagerly indulged 
in; while, if particular evidence be required, it is only nec- 
essary to allude to the party of four, who, during our re- 
cent excursion, finding near a light-house a rather large- 
sized and much dilapidated female shoe, danced delightedly 
around it — after the manner of New Zealanders who are 
about to bake a Missionary. 

Feeling that so delicate a tribute to the worth of those 
who (at sea) appear to be so very little lower than the an- 
gels, ought not to pass unrecorded, it is hoped that it may 
not be considered out of place in this " Log," although the 
pages thereof more legitimitely belong, perhaps, to such 
equally uncertain subjects as the winds and waters. Ihe 
solution of the question we leave to the learned, and re- 
sume our proper office. 

At 7 P. M., the dory — which had been dispatched to the 
shore for the purpose of bringing off our Surgeon, who 
was the only laggard on this occasion — returned with that 
gentleman on board. Our messenger had found the Doctor 
at the tavern, where he was busily indulging in his favorite 
pursuit as a Naturalist, having engaged in an animated dis- 
cussion thereanent, one or two of the young ladies alluded 
to. Upon being reminded that the vessel was waiting his 
return, the Doctor hastily lifted a boquet of natural floAvers 
which he had gathered in the vicinity, blushed slightly as 
he cast a lingering last glance upon the attractive human 
blossoms with whom he had been conversing, and with ap- 
parent reluctance followed his guide to the beach, whence 
he was swiftly conveyed to his eager patients on board. 

Our anchor again atrip, with a fair breeze we ran for 
Holmes Hole (a harbor probably so denominated because, 
to the eye of the landsman, it bears no resemblance Avhat- 



16 

ever to a hole of any description), wliere it had been re- 
solved to procure bait, and a Pilot for Nantucket Shoals. 
The Pilot, Capt, Cleveland, was readily secured, and to his 
honor be it recorded, that immediately upon coming aboard, 
he drank — without any apparent repugnance — a full tum- 
bler of lemonade to the success of the cruise. It having 
been discovered that bait could not be procured until late 
on the morning following, when the tide served, it was de- 
termined, — the wind having entirely died away, — that we 
should avail ourselves of the first favoring breeze for Nan- 
tucket, there procure bait, and bear away for the Shoals — 
•some forty miles distant. 

The recollection of this night, so still, and calm, and 
beautiful, will long be fresh in the minds of those who en- 
joyed its delightful contemplation, who, as they sat through 
its latest hours in the full light of the midsummer moon, 
recalled to memory the poet's expressive apostrophe : 

" How beautiful this night ! the balmiest sigh 
Which vernal zephyrs breathe in evening's ear 
Were discord to the speaking quietude 
That wraps this moveless scene. Heaven's ebon vault, 
Studded with ?tars innumerably bright, 
Through which the moon's unclouded grandeur rolls, 
Seems like a canopy which Love has spread 
Above the sleeping world." 

Not a breath ruffled Ocean's mirrored face, wlierein was 
reflected the gleaming multitude of stars, which thus, alow 
and aloft, slione on the lace of the imaginative believer, 
like the sleepless eyes of the angelic host who guard God's 
holy throne. In the glorious refulgence it was not difficult 
to fancy that the loved — not lost — who had gone before 
us, looked down, in peace and purity eternal, from their 
ethereal home, upon the resting-place of those to whom 
their souls are knit by cords which time can never sever ! 
E-eposing Nature, in the drowsy hum of myriad insect 
voices, re-echoed from the sleeping shores, murmured — 
Peace ! The dark waters below, with their ceaseless swell, 
and the deeply blue vault above, resplendent with its far-off 



17 

eTystal lamps., — shining, and forever shining, — spoke of 
Power ! while ever and anon, as some streaming meteor 
•shot athwart the glittering eky, earthward, it seemed as 
•tliough the pitying angels despatched to the breaking 
hearts and wearied souls of human snfferei's, a Messenger 
of Light! to bid them not despair, but onward press to 
their final goal — the bright world whence it came. 

The Angel of Peace v/as v/ith us, and upon her shrine 
v/as silent lain many a heartfelt offering. The Herald of 
Power spoke of its merciful hovering about the couches 
of the loved ones we had trustingly left to its omnipotent 
keeping; and we sang the songs our households knew, 
with hymns of praise to Him who gave us power to do so. 
Home, with all its quiet joys, came back upon the heart, 
iind all felt that it was not mere distance which '' gave en- 
chantment to the view." Upon such nights Heaven comes 
nearer Earth — the Creature closer to the Creatoe ! 

Somewhere among the smallest of the morning hours of 
the 29th, our moonlight moralists gave themselves reluct- 
antly to the arms of Morpheus, from whose somnolent em- 
brace they were released by the cry of '' under weigh I " 
about G o'clock. A light breeze from the South-West 
wafted us lazily along toward Nantucket, the " Isle of the 
Sea." About 11 A. M. the wind hauled more to the West- 
ward, and freshened. In a few hours we rounded " Cape 
Page," passed ^' Tuckanuck," made and crossed the '^ Bar " 
in about eight feet water, and by 1 P. M. were safely moored 
at dock in the famed home of whales and whalers. 

Friday, 30th — commenced raining about 1 A. M., with a 
smart breeze from E. N. E., and continued at intervals dur- 
ing the earlier hours. At 6 o'clock, the clouds breaking 
away, preparations for starting were made, when Commo- 
dore Bentley, compelled homeward by business calls, an- 
nounced his resignation of command, which, with much re- 
luctance, was accepted, when, with three hearty cheers, 
the party bade him " good by !" Hero, also, Brother J. H. 
Clark, one of the most stalwart and hearty of our crew, — 
3 



18 

having dreamed during the night of his ladye-love, and 
feehng himself unable any longer to endure separation 
from her, invented an ingenious fiction concerning " a note/' 
which, he alleged, would render his return imperative, — 
and to him, also, we bade farewell. 

At 10 A. M. we hauled into the stream, called all hands 
to council, and made unanimous choice of Edwin Bynner 
as successor to our late Commodore, and of A. B. R. Sprague 
as Commodore's Clerk. The question being discussed as 
to whether we should start for home, or proceed to the 
Shoals as soon as wind and tide served, the latter course 
was resolved upon, and 3 P. M. the hour designated at 
which we should put to sea. • During the interval the par- 
ties separated, some, having chartered a small vessel, sailed 
outward to fish for porgies, while others perambulated the 
town in pursuit of adventure. 

By 2.30 P. M. all hands were again on board, re-joined 
by Gen. S. H. Leonard, who had left us at Newport, and 
who was now accompanied by Lieut. Samuel Hathaway, 
whose arrival had been welcomed with all the honors, — a 
general " lemonade " included. 

At 3 o'clock, with wind S. E., we left the Harbor with a 
good breeze, and made Sandy Point about 4.30, intending 
to lay off the Light House through the night, embrace the 
first favorable change of wind, and put for the Banks ; but 
heavy, wicked-looking clouds, gathering in the N. E.,it was 
deemed best to put about, and again make the Harbor, 
where we arrived about G.30, and were safely moored to 
the dock by the time a sharp thunder-storm opened its ar- 
tillery upon the waters we had so recently left. 

Here, perhaps, as well as at any other point of our nara- 
tive, it may not be improper to insert a paragraph or two 
concerning this quaint, old, and interesting town, in which 
it was thus our lot to spend a second night. 

Once thickly populated, and commercially of importance, 
Nantucket was prominent among the Seaports of New Eng- 
land. From among her hardy sons, the French Monarch, 



19 

Louis IV, selected the conductors and directors of his 
great whaling expedition. Her ships, to the number of one 
hundred and forty sail, were found wherever whale were 
to be taken, while upon every sea, the waves whereof had 
been plowed by the keel of a vessel, her daring seamen 
were engaged, and for a long series of years, dating back 
even beyond the Revolution, Nantucket controlled the 
great whaling interest of North America. To-day, her con- 
dition is widely different. Various causes have combined 
to deprive the little Island of her prosperity and influence. 
The general decline of whaling interests, the rapid growth 
of other seaport tovv^ns, blessed with more accessible and 
convenient harbors, but chiefly the golden attractions 
which California disclosed to the adventurer, have robbed 
her of the bone and sinew of her wealth, in the host of 
young men who have deserted her barren sands for those 
of the auriferous regions. Her population has dwindled 
from nearly twelve to about six thousands, while her sea- 
going ships presently number less than thirty. Her com- 
merce has become insignificant ; and grass, and '' grass 
widows," abound in her thoroughfares. And here let no 
carping critic accuse us of irreverence in thus alluding to 
the many " married widows," who add so largely to Nan- 
tucket's attractions, or imagine that we would speak dis- 
paragingly of fair ones so unfortunate. 

An aged mariner, " to the manner born," informed us 
that in this deserted Isle, owing to the Californian and Aus- 
tralian depletion of its population, *' there were now six 
ivomen to one man! and two-thirds on 'em married at that !" 
" Happy Isle !" exclaimed we ; whereat ye ancient fisher- 
man, opening widely his bleared eyes, rejoined — " Happy ! 
eh? Mebbe if you lived among 'em, you mightn't think so. 
I tell ye, neighbor, wherever ye find more women nor men, 
ye needn't stop there to make money ; and as to happiness? 
I 'xpect not .'" 

We thought of Turkey, and sighed : of Utah, and won- 
dered : of Solomon, that he was wise : and of his numerous 



2'0' 

ti^ives: of ye fisherman — who boasted he had btiried' three* 
and who seemed to bear up under this trippled sorrow' 
with a remarkable degree of fortitude, and involuntarily in- 
stituted comparison between them— ye fisherman seeming' 
the wiser man : since Solomon had confessed that " all was 
vanity !" yet lacked the courage to put it away from him^. 
A<^hile the mariner had buried that which be avowed to be 
an evil. But Solomon did never inhabit Nantucket, nor 
was he, " in all his glory, arrayed like one of these " wh& 
people it. With equal certainty it may be recorded that 
the ancient mariner in question was not arrayed like Solo- 
liion, since the only " purple " he displayed was on his' 
knotty nose, while of anything like " fine linen," not a ves- 
tige was to be seen. He of our party whose worst chronic 
disease is an addiction to rhyming, described Nantucket as — - 

, A place made np of sea and sand, 

Which sailors joking?y call land? 
Many women, and many boys. 
Not many men, and little noise. 

To this, our bard might with more propriety than ele- 
gance have added — 

Idle ships, decaying docSa, 
Long battered by old Ocean's shocks^ 
Deceitful fishermen, >7hose shams 
Embrace objectionable clams! 

For, to the shame of the amphibious humans who inhabit 
'' 'long shore," thereabout, must be recorded a most lament- 
able breach of faith on the part of one of their number^ 
with whom a liberal contract to procure our bait had been 
made. Rendering his barrel of clams at the midnight hour, 
when our hearts and suspicions were alike at rest, he re- 
ceived sound currency in exchange for rotten bivalves, the 
strong odor whereof, upon being stii'red, brought forcibly 
to mind one of Sancho Panza's adventures, and induced the 
rash agitator to leave them severely alone until necessity 
compelled the handling. Covered by a goodly layer of 
fresh-taken clams, the fraud was not discovered until too 
late for remedy. Had the case been otherwise, it is more 



^1 

than probable that the bloated and scarcely less odorous 
purveyor would have been offered up as a sacrifice to the 
just indignation of his outraged customers, by being sum- 
mmarily smothered beneath his own commodity. Whether 
the most devout faith in the universality of salvation will 
afford belief in the saving of that pimpled and rum-soaked 
knave, is a problem. How such a creature could enjoy the 
beatitude of the life to come, is a puzzling question, since 
regeneration, even to the utmost extent of both body and 
soul, would seem in his case to be an imperative prelimina- 
ry : but of this we are forbidden to doubt. It is command- 
ed that we should '' do good unto them who despitefully 
use us," wherefore we pray for that man, that such process 
of regeneration may not long be delayed ! 

Having perambulated the length and breadth of this sea- 
girt town, examined its '• lions," and exchanged friendly 
greetings with its inhabitants, all hands repaired on board 
by 9 P. M., in the hope that the wind, which had again 
subsided, might aid us with an early favoring breeze on 
the following morning — -it being fondly believed that we 
might reach the Pishing Ground in season to catch the ma- 
terial for our breakfast — but old Boreas had " other fish to 
fry." 

On the 31st, with wind S. E., but scarcely enough of it 
to determine, we left the dock about 6.30, with smooth 
water and smiling skies. While lazily drifting over the bar, 
were passed by Steamer " Island Home," bound for Hyan- 
nis, having on board Ex-Commodore Bentley, and Brother 
J. H. Clark. Three hearty cheers arose from the deck of 
the " Julius Webb," as she glided swiftly by us. All hands 
joined in singing '^ The bright rosy morning," which Broth- 
er Clark acknowledged in the most graceful manner, by 
chanting the doleful ditty of " I would like to marry." — 
The burthen of this refrain was eagerly taken up by Broth- 
ers Stearns, Estabrook, and others of the quartette who 
danced around the " female shoe," at Tarpaulin Cove, who 
were thereupon reproved by the Commodore for their un- 



22 

seemly levity — it being supposed that the song had been 
only sincerely sung by the departed Brother who had first 
breathed its melodious strains upon the morning air. The 
discussion of the question was cut short by the cry of' — 
" Shark ! a Shark !" A distinguished visitor of this species 
was discovered immediately under the weather-bow, and 
our harpoon not being in readiness, Brother Coleman (who 
is usually in time for such contingencies,) rifled the sea- 
lawyer of his indifference by depositing in his west-end a 
conical shaped bullet, which led to his immediate departure. 
At 12,30 we passed Sandy Point Light, and also an ener- 
getic person in a blue shirt, who was engaged in trolling 
for blue-fish from the shore. An aged individual of the 
feminine gender, also making her appearance at this point, 
was lustily saluted by cheers and dirty pocket-handker- 
chiefs, whereat she seemed to be as much surprised as 
gratified. Thus far — some seven and a half miles — we had 
proceeded in about as many hours, and by 7.30 P. M. were 
only seventeen miles from Nantucket, Sancoty Light bear- 
ing W. S. W. Here, there being nor wind nor statute to 
hinder, and only some fifteen fathoms of water, divers of 
the most eager fishermen determined to right themselves 
by dropping a line to Messrs. Cod, Haddock, Halibut & Co., 
announcing our arrival, which celebrated individuals were 
supposed to be quietly setting upon their bottoms in that 
region. Several vigorous and most muscular manifesta- 
tions of " bites " were speedily made, but beyond the few 
stray sea-muscles, and a heavy, slug-gish fish, called the 
" sinker," numbers of which species are usually taken by 
amateur fishermen upon such occasions, no accredited rep- 
resentative of the finny tribe made his appearance until 
about 9 o'clock, when Brother J. M. C. Armsby had the 
honor of taking out of the wet a member of the Cod family, 
who had been induced by Brother A.'s allurements to come 
alongside. The freedom of the vessel, and the congratula- 
tions of the crowd, were immediately presented to him, and 
everything indicated his amicable residence among us, but 



28 

unfortunately, having inadvertently slapped the leg of the 
Mate with his tail, (an appendage common to fishes,) that 
officer being a choleric person, knocked the unlucky am- 
bassador upon the head, and hove him into the scuppers. 
With his blood upon our hands, friendly overtures were of 
course no longer to be thought of, and it was resolved in- 
continently to murder every cod which might thereafter 
fall into our hands, without benefit of clergy, and if need 
be, to eat him also. With this truly christian resolve at 
heart, a solemn lemonade all round was partaken of, and all 
hands turned in for the purpose of reflecting upon the ques- 
tion, whether, if we made the Fishing Ground during the 
night, we should be justified in putting it to its legitimate 
use. During this night, the slumbers of the Commodore 
were disturbed by unfavorable dreams. The exceedingly 
ancient and fish-like smell of the Nantucket clams seemed 
to grow, through each successive hour, vaster and nastier, 
until it filled all space, and destroyed all comfort. Life be- 
came unendurable, and as earth stank in his nostrils, the 
victim rushed upon deck and jumped overboard! Down, 
and down, sank the rash adventurer, until, at length, he 
struck bottom, (the sea's — not his own,) where by some 
material agencyhe was seated upon a rock, when, seizing 
a floating mass of kelp, he rubbed his eyes therewith, for 
lack of a handkerchief, — which convenience, having no 
pocket in his shirt, he had been unable to bring with him. 
To his great surprise, he was enabled to open his eyes. — 
The spectacle upon which they were thus opened, howev- 
er, it is difficult to describe. Before him stood a barrel — 
the barrel ! the horrible barrel of decayed clams ! Around 
him — far as the sight extended, for miles and miles — were 
codfish in myriads. Countless, and nearly motionless, they 
floated in the briny element, momentarily opening their 
huge mouths as if to swallow the human intruder. From 
each projected, on either side, a fin, shaped like a human 
hand. At a given signal, the dexter pin of each individual 
of the scaly host was slowly raised to the tip of its nose. 



24 

the minor digit undulating slowly : with the other fin, mil- 
lions pointed, with the index finger, to the terrible barrel ! 
A sardonic leer gradually overspread the multitude of 
fiices, as slowly wheeling round, each member of the ser- 
ried host wagged in derision his departing tail — as though 
his tale were told — and the fearful scene faded from the 
aching sight of the victim. Again the waters grew opaque ; 
darkness was coming. Struck by the moral conveyed by 
the scene, as well as by the fin of a passing sword-fish, and 
smarting under the stings of mockery and defeat, as well 
as those of some dozen sun-fish, which clung to him like 
office-hunters to a Prime Minister, the indignant Commo- 
dore, becoming sensible that he had been long enough un- 
der water, fiercely sprang for the surface, which he had 
nearly reached when his head struck something soft and 
cushion-like. The obstruction was human. A passing ray 
of light soon exhibited to his astonished gaze the pimpled 
visage of the deceitful clam-monger ! The wrath which 
groweth out of broken faith, filled the soul of the Commo- 
dore. Cleaving unto him with a vigor that was not born 
of love, again he went down ! his victim within his enraged 
grasp. Speedily the barrel was reached. Hurling upon 
his back its quondam owner, with one hand squeezing the 
back of his bovine neck until his mouth gaped open wide, 
with the other he crammed down his throat the putrid shell- 
fish,- one by one, until the bloated body, filled with noxious 
gasses, balloon-like, rose, and floated ofi". With a spasmodic 
thrust the avenger essayed to give to it one parting kick, 
by the effect of which he was awakened to the discovery 
that he had been dreaming, and in his imaginary rage had 
broken a big toe-nail in the endeavor to add impetus to the 
course of the foetid clam-man's body ! It was but a dream ! 
A weather-beaten face, peering closely toward his own, 
proved to be the property of the Mate of the " Julius 
Webb," who, raising his lantern for the purpose of exhibit- 
ing the smile which the fact had created, announced that 
he had just caught two cod, and " believed " that we had 



25 

at length drifted upon the right ground for sport. Apolo- 
gizing for the abortive attempt to kick him, with which his 
efforts had been greeted, that functionary arose, and at 3 
A. M. was on deck, — a victim, as will be seen, to a most re- 
markable mental hallucination ; for so deep was the impres- 
sion made upon his mind by the singular dream narrated 
above, and so long the period of time which seemed to have 
elapsed during its existence, that it was not until late in 
the afternoon that he became thoroughly conscious of the 
fact, that the day spent in fishing was the appointed day of 
rest, and not the first day of the new week, — a discovery 
which appeared to cause him not a little uneasiness. A 
similar delusion seemed to afflict the majority of his com- 
mand. 

About 4.30, a large cod — whose bad taste had betrayed 
him into the indiscretion of biting at a large bunch of the 
odorous clams, beneath which a stout hook was concealed — 
was quietly suspended down the hatchway, in full sight of 
the sleepers, so soon as their eyes might open. Ere long, 
Mr. Cod's struggles for freedom awoke the nearest man, 
who immediately sounded the alarm, and forthwith there 
was a stampede for the deck. As '' line upon line " dropped 
over the side, "precept upon precept" was involuntarily 
repeated, whose injunctions forbade such appropriation of 
the time. But alas ! that we should say it ! No minister 
was on board, and if there had been, there was no good 
place in which to put him. No land was in sight ; no wind 
blew to waft us towards it : the familiar sound of sacred 
bells fell not upon the ear : sailors warned us that such a 
calm must speedily be followed by a storm which would ef- 
fectually banish all hope of fishing : and so, one by one, 
over went the lines, at the end of many of which stood se- 
rious New Bnglanders, sorely troubled with qualms of con- 
science — and stomach, both ! — but resolved, nevertheless, 
not wholly to lose the sport for which they had traveled so 
far, and labored so persistently, — and which might now be 
had with so eas}'' a sacrifice. 
4 



26 

High upon the bowsprit was perched one wicked wa^, 
who hummed forth the ancient parody — 

" Ye monsters of the briny deep, 
Your Maker's praises spout! 
Up from (be sands ye codlings peep, 
And wag your tails about!"' 

Whereat another took up tlio refrain, and extemporized as 
follows : 

Ye " devil-Csh," and sculpins free, 

Down to your slimy holes! 
Not for such prey as ye would we 

Have sin upon our souls! 

As an appropriate rebuke to his levity, the vocalist was at 
this point compelled to haul up one of the ugliest, most 
spiteful; and altogether nasty-looking sculpins, which ever 
left the ocean against his will. The monster, having swal- 
lowed the hook, with the bait, gave our rjnnster full em- 
ployment for the succeeding twenty minutes, which cha- 
grined him the more, as the legitimate fish, at this time, 
were being hauled inboard with great rapidity. At G o'clock 
some forty splendid fish lay floundering upon the larboard 
deck, while from the pots and pans of the busy cooks were 
emitted grateful fumes of frying monsters, fresh from their 
native element, destined to gratify our long yearning for 
meals of our own catching. 

About this hour, the king-fish of the day, a mighty cod 
of some forty pounds weight, telegraphed to the gentle- 
manly operator at the other end of his line, that he desired 
immediate personal communication with him. The opera- 
tor proved to be Gen. S. H. Leonard, who sick at stomach, 
but stout at heart, signaled to His Majesty to come aboard, 
but after hauling up about half his line, signified to his com- 
rades his willingness to receive assistance, whereby the 
" critter " was safely landed. A shout, which we probably 
should not have uttered had we been on old Worcester 
Common at the time, greeted the arrival of this distinguished 
stranger, who, having been caught stealing on the Lord's 
Day, was at once tried, condemned, and easily persuaded 



27 

to depart this life, by the application of a stick of wood, 
smartly made upon his organ of marvelousness. A very 
"weak lemonade restored the General — • exhausted by the 
■struggle — to a proper sense of his new importance as a 
No. 1 fisherman, and it was not difficult to perceive that, 
in his own estimation, even his military renown '* paled its 
ineffectual fires" in the light of this, his vast marine achieve- 
ment. Having caught cold, as well as the mammoth cod, 
the General was persuaded by a senior Brother, (who hav- 
ing not as yet conquered his conscientious scruples against 
fishing, had nothing better to do,) to partake of a second 
lemonade, Vv'hich of the two was not weaker than the first, 
and had the happy effect of restoring to his face something 
of its natural hue, and also of correcting, by addition, the 
acidity of his stomach : the general result being the almost 
entire recovery of our warlike fisherman from his previous 
ailments. By the general consent, this exploit secured for 
h'lm the title oi^ 3Iajo7^-Codj2sh-General. It may be proper 
to add, that the capture of this animal dispelled ail doubts 
as to the propriety of fishing, from the minds of those who 
had thus far hesitated. The sight of the monster, the per- 
petual cry of " here you have him !" " fish here !" the ex- 
citement caused by the flop-flopping music created by the 
tails of the prey, the magnetic influence excited by the 
eyes of the successful, as they landed their prizes inboard, — 
these, and other influences unknown to landsmen, were too 
powerful, and even the most devout at length succombed 
to the loud necessity, dropping a line defiantly in the di- 
rection of the alleged abode of the great adversary of 
souls, as if to bid him make the worst of it. 

Notwithstanding the unusual attraction of our cuisine 
upon this memorable morning, breakfast was despatched 
with unheard-of celerity ; even Brother Estabrook ate more 
rapidly, although not less than usual, since his appetite, as 
proved by this cruise, growing upon that which feeds it, is 
(like the happiness promised to the blest,) unfading. 

Hardly were the " chill remains " of the repast cleared 



28 

away, when with a shout it was announced, that Lieut, 
Hathaway, who was smiKng at a brief gUiss of lemonade- 
then in his unemployed hand, " had a bite !" Scarce a mo- 
ment before, he had been engaged in quoting from '' Lalla 
Rookh '•— 

" Oh, what a pure and sacred thing 
Is beauty, curtained from the sight 
Of the gross world, illumining 
One only mansion -with her light; 
Unseen by man's disturbing eye. 

The flower that blooms beneath the sea " — 

when — ^jerk, jerk ! twitch ! and pull — went the arms of the 
gallant soldier. One hundred and fifty feet of line came in 
hand over hand, and at the end of it — an " old viaid!" — 
weary, flat exceedingly, stale, and singularly unprofitable. 
As the '' maiden" lay gasping upon the deck, her dull eye 
turned entreatingly upon the Lieutenant, as though beseech- 
ing him not to be rude, he sighed, and then smilingly re- 
marked, " I've known 'em to resist before, but this Nan- 
tucket kind are tough !" Being exhausted more than is 
his wont in this sort of encounter, a very weak lemonade 
was unanimously voted him, which, it ma}'- be pleasantly re- 
corded, he drank without any serious inconvenience to him- 
self. Scarcely had the blush subsided upon our hero's 
modest cheek, ere his renown as a collector of oddities was 
challenged by a similar exploit on the part of Brother S. V. 
Stone, who amid shouts for " help !" '' a rope !" " harpoon !" 
etc, succeeded in hauling over the side a fish whose per- 
sonal appearance was abundant warrant for subaqueous ce- 
libacy in its most rigid interpretation. The tub-shaped 
monster, weighing some thirty-five pounds, like Dickens' 
" Quilp," was mostly head and shoulders, and bore an un- 
natural resemblance to Cruikshanks' ideal of that remarka- 
ble personage, especially about the mouth, which reminded 
the beholder of an unoccupied butcher's shop, being well 
studded with " meat-hooks." The General, jealous of 
Stone's success, and fearful as to his own supremacy as the 
capturer of the " biggest fish," ungenerously insinuated 



29 

something about " a family likeness," and inquired of the 
capturer whether " any younger brother of his had ever 
been lost at sea." These, and other jibes, the taker bore 
with resignation, as he exhibited his " hippopotamus " to 
the admiring crowd ; which duty performed, we regret to 
add, was followed by an act of wanton cruelty on the cap- 
turer's part, viz : cramming down the fish's throat, before 
throwing him overboard, a copy of the " Boston Bee," — ■ 
which, of course, killed him instantly ! To name, consecu- 
tively, the most successful fishermen, might be invidious. 
To Brother Eddy, however, whose untiring labors were 
surely never equalled since the days of St. Peter, must be 
awarded the palm as to number. Distinguished by the 
nomme de mer of " Green-Jacket," he tired out two attend- 
ants in the mere removal of his spoils. As a recompense 
to Brother Stone for his adventure with the '' sea-devil " 
alluded to, he was fortunate enough to take the second in 
size, and altogether the handsomest of the day's trophies. 
An unfortunate " skate," prisoner to Dr. Jencks, was again 
sent to sea, among the wonders of the deep, with a partner 
for life in the shape of an aged sculpin, secured, wrong end 
foremost, to his unwilling bride. The (un-)happy pair, — 
the marriage ceremony having been carefully performed 
by the Mate, — started upon their bridal tour, followed by a 
long procession of " Mother Carey's Chickens," the rollick- 
ing little wanderers apparently watching with much interest 
the progress of the first dispute between the wedded, which 
had evidently arisen between them concerning the route to 
be taken. As usual, the ^' grey mare proved the better 
horse," and her ladyship, the '' Old Maid," taking her own 
way, bore off her resisting lord in triumph. 

And thus the hours rolled on, as fish rolled in ; until ex- 
citement and labor had done their appointed work. The 
shining sun had reached the zenith, and all were admonished: 

" Their various cares in one great point combine 
The business of their lives, that is — to dine." 

Fried fish and boiled fish, chowder with all its attendant 



30 

luxuries, loaded the bending table, and a goodly portion of 
the fruits of our morning's labor in due time disappeared. 

Again the lines were resumed, and with continued suc- 
cess, the aggregate '' take " being from one to twenty* 
eight per capita. Several vessels — smacks— laying-to with- 
in a mile or two of us, appeared to be even more successful, 
owing probably to the better quality of their bait, — as upon 
the deck of the most distant, by the aid of a " glass " a fe- 
male form was discovered by our " Committee on Discov- 
ery," which consisted of Sam. and Lieut. Hathaway. 

It is with much regret that the discreditable fact is re- 
corded, but truth compells the avowal, that the Committee 
was subsequently detected in winking at the female through 
the telescope. A dog on board the same vessel doubtless 
witnessed the impropriety, as his bark was upon the '* C." 
immediately, drawing instant attention to the offender, who 
was summarily punished by the administration of a glass 
of water — cold, without lemon or sugar. 

About 3 P. M. the cry — " a whale ! a whale ! there she 
blows !" brought all hands to windward, where, sure enough, 
at the distance of a mile a monster " Fin-Back " was per- 
forming his ablutions in a shower-bath of his own raising. 
That this was " very like a Avhale," all hands agreed. To 
" take him " was the first thought — not to do so, the sec- 
ond. This conclusion was strengthened by the reflection 
that whaling was dirty work, that none of us were in the 
oil trade, that if we were it was not a proper day to devote 
to the pursuit of gain, that we had no good place to put 
him in, without incommoding some of the crew, that we 
were minus harpoons, lines, and other conveniences of that 
sort — furthermore, that we guessed he was not such a 
" dreadful big whale," after all : and, finally, that we didn't 
want him. These, and other trifling considerations, induced 
the Commodore to inform the Captain that he need not 
" lower the boat," to which circumstance that whale is 
probably indebted for his present existence. We cite this 
incident as an illustration of the ruling sense of propriety 



31 

which governed the movements of the Club. Perhaps the 
feature next in interest during this day's adventures, was 
the crowning piscatorial feat of our gallant friend, the 
" Committee on Discovery." Distinguished for his devo- 
tion to those ancient Misses whom moderns call " The 
Muses," he sat dreamily in the boat hanging at the stern, 
somewhat ennuyee at the proiStless result of his labor thus 
far, and nervously fearful of a second attack from " Old 
Maids," pondering deeply over that portion of Natural His- 
tory which treats of Mermaids, and of the romantic adjuncts 
with which poets invest those phenomena. Seized suddenl}' 
with the divine afflatus, he seized his pencil and a stray 
shingle used for a bait-board, upon which, as was subse- 
quently discovered, he passionately pencilled the following 
original — 

THOUftHTS ON A MEKMAID. 

In part a monster, sub-marine'? 
Who e'er the moustrous part hath seen"? 
Who knows she can a lail unfold 
Would make one's very blood run cold'? 
In part so fishy, part so human — 
Scaly below — above, all woman! 
AVith face so fair, with dreamy eyes, 
Long lashes shielding their surprise, 
Soft flowing locks, round, heaving breast, 
Why, Nature, why not form the resf? 
The fishy part — the part beyond — 
With beauty's fiice to correspond'? 
Why fashion creatures fair, if frail. 
So that their modest cheek must pale 
When to reflection their thoughts tend 
Upon their fearful latter end'? 
Why rosy cheeks, and dimpled chins 
Above? when underneath are fins? 
Why, neither fish, nor flesh, these women — 
Whom one can only worship swimming? 
Yet, could I see one, I'd be her man, 
Although to win her I turned merman! 

And a very narrow escape from the fulfilment of the rash 
vow was granted him ; for (as is supposed) at this moment 
a huge cod attached himself to the lines of the bard by de- 
librately swallowing the hook. Leaping back into prosy 



32 

life, in its fisherman phrase, on the instant, fiercely he pulled 
upon the line, unci wildly shouted for aid, as the weight of 
the fish indicated his large size. Up came the dripping- 
cord, hand over hand. The struggle was fearful ; the cod 
at one end, the poet at the other ; it was pull, fish ! and 
pull, bard ! " nip and tuck," with the result long and ter- 
ribly in doubt. At length his dexter hand missed the line. 
Down went the fish again, and down came the poet — his 
eyes in real frenzy — rolling. " Help ! help !" he shouted 
frantically, as, again recovering the line, he pulled away 
manfully, the perspiration rolling down his cheeks; and 
surely none who witnessed our friend's almost despair- 
ing look of entreaty for aid, as the last few fathoms came 
in over the boat's side, can ever forget it. But it came ! 
and with it a noble cod, to reward his toil. To be sure, 
there was little need of haste or excitement in taking, since, 
to release the hook, the unfortunate fish had to be turned 
inside out ; but poets are not always prophets, or seers ; 
and, in common with ordinary mortals, are subject to these 
minor errors in judgment; hence, the applause which 
greeted the conqueror as both he and his captive rolled in- 
board together, breathless and exhausted, was commensu- 
rate with the struggle and its momentous results. 

By 4 P. M. the lines were hauled in, decks washed down, 
all canvas spread, and the vessel's bows turned homeward, 
with a light breeze from N. W. " Homeward bound !" was 
the word, as our supper was discussed, after which, a very 
respectable chapel having been improvised in the Hold, like 
good boys we went to meeting. Our Musical Club fur- 
nished capital music, under the direction of our ever ready 
leader, Charley Snow. The good old tunes were sung, the 
Scriptures read, Lieut. Hathaway recited his allegory of 
" Buth and Naomi," and all hands turned in the better for 
the exercises, which closed with Old Hundred by the en- 
tire Choir. 

At 6 A. M. on the morning of the 2d, the wind increased 
and chopped round to the N, N. E., giving us a spanking 



33 

homeward breeze, which put our good vessel alongside 
dock at New London by 7 P. M., whence we left for home 
soon after midnight in the Steamer Connecticut, where all 
in due season and good health arrived early enough to sit 
at the morning meal with those we loved. 

Our gratitude to those officers, and others concerned, by 
whose aid our cruise was successfully and pleasantly con- 
ducted, was suitably expressed in the series of Resolutions 
adopted at the final meeting of the Club, which may be 
found annexed. 

To Him who rules both land and sea : who gave us 
strength to go, with health to return : who guarded and 
guided during our absence the households of our loves and 
hopes, shielding all from harm, and blessing all with count- 
less benefactions : let our hearts now and ever be raised 
in prayer and praise — remembering — 

" When gratitude o'erflows the swelling heart, 
And breathes in free and uncorrupted praise 
For benefits received : propitious Heaven 
Takes such acknowledgment as fragrant incense, 
And doubles all His blessings." 



On Board Schooner " Julius Webb," ) 
August 2d, 1858. ) 

At a meeting of the " Wachusett Club," held as above, 
the following Resolutions were adopted : 

Besolved — That, in returning from our Excursion, grati- 
tude prompts us to an expression of thanks to those through 
whose instrumentality it has been made so pleasant and 
satisfactory. To Julius Webb, Esq., of Norwich, Ct., the 
Club return their acknowledgements for his efficient aid in 
fitting them out, and securing for their use the fine vessel, 
whose good qualities resemble so closely those of him 
whose name she bears ; and also for the pleasure afforded 
them by his personal presence during the trip. May his 
shadow largely increase. 

Besolved^-l^hdii in Capt. Henry Fargo we have found 
every necessary quality of seamanship, and every desirable 
element of good fellowship. Professionally, we respect 
him : personally, we esteem him. The constant good hu- 
mor he has exhibited, under all those minor difficulties 
which land-lubbers create on ship-board — his generous sur- 
render of all private convenience, for general comfort, and 
his continual solicitude for our comfort and gratification, 
have entitled him to our lasting remembrance. May he 
live to command the '^ Leviathan !" 

Resolved — That to Capt. Elijah Bolles, Sailing-Master 
to the Expedition, we are indebted for much of the pleas- 
ure we have experienced during our trip. As Nautical 
School-Master, he has diligently instructed a large class 
upon those phenomena which are witnessed only by those 
who '' go down to the sea in ships," and do their business 



36 

upon the deep waters. For this^ as well as for his exem- 
plary patience and politeness toward us, we return our sin- 
cere thanks, and trust that when next he " doubles Cape 
Horn," he may double all the preceding profit of his nume- 
rous voyages. Long may he wave ! 

Resolved — That our thanks are due to the OflScers and 
Crew of the vessel, lor their uniform courtesy towards us, 
and their praiseworthy attention to their duty. We trust 
that — all and several — they may retire from seaman's ser- 
vice with a Captain's pride, and an owner's profit. 

Resolved — That our acknowledgements are hereby ten- 
dered to Augustus Brewster, Esq., of Norwich, for his 
courtesy, both in his individual capacity, and as President 
of the Norwich & Worcester Railroad Company ; to P. St. 
M. Andrews, Esq., Superintendent of the Company; and in 
particular, to Messrs. Norton k Converse, of Norwich 
and New London Steamboat Company, for their kind assis- 
tance, and the gratuitous loan of necessary equipments. — 
That we return to Messrs. N. & C. the mattresses loaned 
us — perhaps in no better condition than taken, and conse- 
quently shall not avail ourselves of Mr. Norton's privilege, 
to charge for improvements. 

Resolved — That our thanks are due to Geo. W. Bentley, 
Esq., our Ex-Commodore, for the light which his counte- 
nance afforded us during many days of our trip, and regret 
that " circumstances beyond his control " deprived us of 
his counsel and company during the pleasant and conclu- 
sory portion. That we gratefully acknowledge his valua- 
ble services, as well in the matter of outfit, as in the con- 
duct of our Expedition. May his days be long in the land, 
and may fat grow continually upon his rib. 

Resolved — That to our present Commander, Edwin Byn- 
ner, Esq., we are indebted for so much^ that even his mod- 
esty shall not prevent us from making some public acknowl- 
edgement thereof; but to enumerate all would be to inter- 
sperse the whole history of our whole trip, with gems of 
wit, and mirth, and song, — with a history of his solicitude 



37 

for individual comfort, and a general, genial oversight of the 
happiness of all. May he ever be as happy as he has made 
us — until his name is no more cherished in our memories. 

Resolved — That to Surgeon Samuel Flagg, our bowels 
yearn in grateful remembrance. Like a bailiff among " poor 
debtors/' he was everywhere, during the times which tried 
men's stomachs, but nowhere except as a welcome guest. 
That to his ministration, and efficient aid, many of us are 
indebted for health, as well as comfort ; while all are debt- 
ors for his uniform kindness, and constant labor in the gen- 
eral service. May he live until death becomes desirable, 
and never be forced to take medicine. 

Resolved — That to E. G. Watkins, Esq., our Steward^ we 
render thanks for his constant exertions to keep us all in 
good spirits ; and assure him we shall cherish sweet remem- 
brance of his artistic skill. 

Resolved — That to John C. Newton, Esq., our Purser, we 
acknowledge our great indebtedness for his assiduous at- 
tention in providing stores for our comfort while on the 
trip, as well as for his valuable services before embarking. 
May he be blessed with a numerous ojffspring, and may he 
never be found without bread in his locker. He will long 
be remembered by his " regular " customers. 

Resolved — That to our Musical Club, under the direc- 
tion of Chas. B. Snow, Esq., we are indebted for many a 
pleasant harmony, that — 

" Old Long Island sea-girt shore 
Whiled many an hour away." 

Resolved — That the uniform spirit of kindness and brother- 
hood, exhibited by each to all, will be one of the pleasantest 
memories of our voyage, and will serve as a bond to link 
us closer together through all the coming voyages of our 
lives, — in which we hope all shall be prosperous, and none 
ever suffer shipwreck of fortune or honor. 

. A. B. R. SPRAGUE, Clerk. 



The following is the list of names of the Officers and 
Members of the Club, as originally formed : 

Geoege W. Bentley, Commodore. 

Edwin Bynnee, Commodore's Clerk. 

Samuel Flagg, M, D,, Surgeon. 

John C. Newton, Purser. 

E. G. Watkins, Steward. 

C. H. Ballard, Assistant Steward. 



Com. Council. 
Julius Webb. 
Samuel Hathaway. 
Heney Phelps. 
A. B. R. Speague. 
J. H, Clarke. 
S. V. Stone. 



C. C. Coleman. J. F. Estey. 

F. E. Goodwin. Thos. N. Huelburt. 

W. S. Goodwin. William H. Drury. 

Henry L. Stowe. George L. Allen. 

Jerome Marble. David Brown. 

Harvey B. Wilder. T. E. Hall. 

Samuel B. Dennis. Jas. E. Estabrook. 

Gen. S. H. Leonard. J. A. Hunt. 



40 



Daniel Seagraves. 
Geo. a. Brown. 
J. M. C. Armsby. 
LoRiNG Eddy. 
Charles Marvin. 
Wm. D. Holbrook. 
George E. Mann. 
J. W. Jordan. 
S. A. Earle. 
Charles B. Snow. 



C. H. Jencks. 

D. H. Chamberlin, 
J. L. Waters. 

W. A. Hacker. 
John C. Stearns. 
Billings Mann. 
William Jones. 
A. C. Williams. 
Hiram Bullard, 



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